Young, old delight in Neuqua Valley win
Senior Bludgen, frosh Georgi bag 1st varsity goals in 4-2 victory
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – The present and the future were in full bloom at Neuqua Valley on Saturday.
Freshman Jack Georgi and senior Tom Bludgeon both notched their first career varsity goals and senior stars Jose Navarro and David Kuhn were outstanding as the Wildcats knocked off Lake Forest Academy 4-2.
The Senior Day victory provided the backdrop to an interesting dichotomy. Georgi and fellow rookies Harshit Gupta and John Pochyly are the first freshmen to play varsity soccer for Neuqua since Kuhn debuted three years ago.
Neuqua Valley coach Arnoldo Gonzalez has been high on Georgi since the preseason, saying he has the potential to develop into a leader just like Kuhn, who scored the last two goals Saturday.
“It’s almost like a cycle,” Gonzalez said. “It is the second time that (I’ve) had freshmen on varsity.
“(Georgi) has always had that fight. When you add the experience to the fight, it is fun to see.”
Georgi’s breakthrough came with 9:15 left in the first half. The game was tied 1-1 when Navarro fended off a challenge in the midfield and split the seam with a great
pass to Georgi, who raced into the box and dribbled around Lake Forest Academy goalkeeper Henry Jacobson before scoring on the empty net.
“It was me making a good run for Jose, and Jose took on a bunch of people and just found me right through that gap,” Georgi said. “The goalie came out a bit too much, and I saw that and took it right around him.”
Georgi has the size and skills to succeed at the varsity level, but the question, as it always is with freshmen, was whether he could acclimate with his older teammates. Kuhn faced the same thing when he was a rookie and said that hasn’t been a problem.
“I see a lot of myself in him,” Kuhn said. “He’s a great leader. He’s going to have a lot of potential coming into his future years.”
The success Kuhn envisions for Georgi could come sooner rather than later, judging by the acumen the youngster displayed on the goal.
“It was a beautiful gap that he saw,” Kuhn said. “He ran right into it, and Jose laid it right there for him, a beautiful pass.
“(Georgi) sees stuff like that, and that’s why he has so much potential.”
That potential will come in handy for a team that, despite having 11 seniors, is in a rebuilding mode. The veterans have welcomed Georgi into the ranks.
“It’s a bunch of really good guys that make it really easy to fit in,” Georgi said. “It’s easy to communicate.”
Nothing has come easy for the Wildcats (5-3-2) during a grueling week that began with high-profile matches against Benet and defending state champion Naperville North.
Neuqua acquitted itself well in both games, losing 1-0 to the unbeaten Huskies on Tuesday and tying 2-2 against a Benet team that has lost only to the Huskies and 2017 state finalist Libertyville.
But this victory was just as hard-fought and required the Wildcats to come from behind. The Caxys (3-2-0) scored first on a goal by Rich Park, but Neuqua equalized when Bludgen found the back of the net for the first time.
Again, it was the unselfish Navarro who provided the assist.
“It was a really cool goal,” Bludgen said. “It was one of our first shots on the entire game and when it went in it brought a lot of momentum.”
Bludgen gave kudos to Navarro, who plays more of a defensive role in the midfield and prefers to facilitate rather than lead the attack.
“He’s got so much speed and agility,” Bludgen said. “It’s insane to see how fast he can create room for me on the ball.
“He’ll take one or two guys on and lay it off, and it just gives me such a good, easy look to goal.”
The Caxys didn’t make things easy on the Wildcats. Defender Sergio Momcilovic converted a penalty kick to tie the game at the 36:22 mark of the second half.
Seven minutes later, Neuqua retook the lead in the same fashion. Jason Chisnell sprung Ryan Matthews into the left side of the Lake Forest Academy box with a perfect pass, and Matthews was quickly taken down.
Kuhn stepped to the spot and after some gamesmanship on the part of the Caxys, which included Jacobson walking out and standing in front of him while the referee set things up, drilled the penalty into the lower left corner with 28:58 left.
“We knew we could beat them,” Kuhn said. “Matthews (drew) that penalty, and I stepped up to it and the other team knew it.
“They were scuffing up the penalty spot, actually, and I was like, ‘Guys, that’s so disrespectful, what are you doing.’ But I made the shot.
“Then for a while we were flat-footed. Towards the end of the game it was starting to get out of control a little bit and luckily I saw that last shot. It secured the game.”
Kuhn’s insurance goal came with 10:20 to go after Matthews and Anthony Safo worked a give-and-go into the box, with Safo’s flick finding the charging Matthews in the middle.
Matthews got off a chip shot under pressure, which Jacobson saved at the right post. But the ensuing outlet pass was intercepted by Kuhn, who stepped forward and ripped a 19-yard shot inside the far post.
That kind of attack was lacking earlier in the week. Gonzalez said the Wildcats produced more through-balls against the Caxys than the previous six or seven games combined.
“You see that when we actually turn that switch on and keep it on, we look to distribute, regardless of whether that ball is coming right back to you,” Gonzalez said.
“We’re looking for the open man on the quick pass and actually get the defense on their heels.
“There were many good things happening. Most importantly, I think it was kind of refreshing to get the W.
“Even though there were ups and downs, I think it was another hard-fought game, and we’ve had three (this week). It was good to pull off the W.”
Starting lineups
Lake Forest Academy
GK Henry Jacobson
D Charlie Shattock
D Scott Skinner
D Tyler Medvec
D Sergio Estrelles
M Alexander White
M Jason Woo
M Stefan Momcilovic
F Rich Park
F Giuseppe Maida
F David Oluwole
Neuqua Valley
GK Bryson Ramsey
D Kevin Wu
D Ryan Jasek
D Anthony Safo
D Brandon Szabo
M Mac Lehman
M Tom Bludgen
M Jose Navarro
M David Kuhn
M Sean Osoba
F Jason Chisnell
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match – David Kuhn, sr., M, Neuqua Valley.
Scoring summary
First half
Lake Forest Academy – Rich Park
Neuqua Valley – Tom Bludgen (Jose Navarro)
Neuqua Valley – Jack Georgi (Navarro) 9:15
2nd Half
Lake Forest Academy – Sergio Estrelles (PK) 36:22
Neuqua Valley – David Kuhn (PK) 28:58
Neuqua Valley – Kuhn 10:20
Senior Bludgen, frosh Georgi bag 1st varsity goals in 4-2 victory
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – The present and the future were in full bloom at Neuqua Valley on Saturday.
Freshman Jack Georgi and senior Tom Bludgeon both notched their first career varsity goals and senior stars Jose Navarro and David Kuhn were outstanding as the Wildcats knocked off Lake Forest Academy 4-2.
The Senior Day victory provided the backdrop to an interesting dichotomy. Georgi and fellow rookies Harshit Gupta and John Pochyly are the first freshmen to play varsity soccer for Neuqua since Kuhn debuted three years ago.
Neuqua Valley coach Arnoldo Gonzalez has been high on Georgi since the preseason, saying he has the potential to develop into a leader just like Kuhn, who scored the last two goals Saturday.
“It’s almost like a cycle,” Gonzalez said. “It is the second time that (I’ve) had freshmen on varsity.
“(Georgi) has always had that fight. When you add the experience to the fight, it is fun to see.”
Georgi’s breakthrough came with 9:15 left in the first half. The game was tied 1-1 when Navarro fended off a challenge in the midfield and split the seam with a great
pass to Georgi, who raced into the box and dribbled around Lake Forest Academy goalkeeper Henry Jacobson before scoring on the empty net.
“It was me making a good run for Jose, and Jose took on a bunch of people and just found me right through that gap,” Georgi said. “The goalie came out a bit too much, and I saw that and took it right around him.”
Georgi has the size and skills to succeed at the varsity level, but the question, as it always is with freshmen, was whether he could acclimate with his older teammates. Kuhn faced the same thing when he was a rookie and said that hasn’t been a problem.
“I see a lot of myself in him,” Kuhn said. “He’s a great leader. He’s going to have a lot of potential coming into his future years.”
The success Kuhn envisions for Georgi could come sooner rather than later, judging by the acumen the youngster displayed on the goal.
“It was a beautiful gap that he saw,” Kuhn said. “He ran right into it, and Jose laid it right there for him, a beautiful pass.
“(Georgi) sees stuff like that, and that’s why he has so much potential.”
That potential will come in handy for a team that, despite having 11 seniors, is in a rebuilding mode. The veterans have welcomed Georgi into the ranks.
“It’s a bunch of really good guys that make it really easy to fit in,” Georgi said. “It’s easy to communicate.”
Nothing has come easy for the Wildcats (5-3-2) during a grueling week that began with high-profile matches against Benet and defending state champion Naperville North.
Neuqua acquitted itself well in both games, losing 1-0 to the unbeaten Huskies on Tuesday and tying 2-2 against a Benet team that has lost only to the Huskies and 2017 state finalist Libertyville.
But this victory was just as hard-fought and required the Wildcats to come from behind. The Caxys (3-2-0) scored first on a goal by Rich Park, but Neuqua equalized when Bludgen found the back of the net for the first time.
Again, it was the unselfish Navarro who provided the assist.
“It was a really cool goal,” Bludgen said. “It was one of our first shots on the entire game and when it went in it brought a lot of momentum.”
Bludgen gave kudos to Navarro, who plays more of a defensive role in the midfield and prefers to facilitate rather than lead the attack.
“He’s got so much speed and agility,” Bludgen said. “It’s insane to see how fast he can create room for me on the ball.
“He’ll take one or two guys on and lay it off, and it just gives me such a good, easy look to goal.”
The Caxys didn’t make things easy on the Wildcats. Defender Sergio Momcilovic converted a penalty kick to tie the game at the 36:22 mark of the second half.
Seven minutes later, Neuqua retook the lead in the same fashion. Jason Chisnell sprung Ryan Matthews into the left side of the Lake Forest Academy box with a perfect pass, and Matthews was quickly taken down.
Kuhn stepped to the spot and after some gamesmanship on the part of the Caxys, which included Jacobson walking out and standing in front of him while the referee set things up, drilled the penalty into the lower left corner with 28:58 left.
“We knew we could beat them,” Kuhn said. “Matthews (drew) that penalty, and I stepped up to it and the other team knew it.
“They were scuffing up the penalty spot, actually, and I was like, ‘Guys, that’s so disrespectful, what are you doing.’ But I made the shot.
“Then for a while we were flat-footed. Towards the end of the game it was starting to get out of control a little bit and luckily I saw that last shot. It secured the game.”
Kuhn’s insurance goal came with 10:20 to go after Matthews and Anthony Safo worked a give-and-go into the box, with Safo’s flick finding the charging Matthews in the middle.
Matthews got off a chip shot under pressure, which Jacobson saved at the right post. But the ensuing outlet pass was intercepted by Kuhn, who stepped forward and ripped a 19-yard shot inside the far post.
That kind of attack was lacking earlier in the week. Gonzalez said the Wildcats produced more through-balls against the Caxys than the previous six or seven games combined.
“You see that when we actually turn that switch on and keep it on, we look to distribute, regardless of whether that ball is coming right back to you,” Gonzalez said.
“We’re looking for the open man on the quick pass and actually get the defense on their heels.
“There were many good things happening. Most importantly, I think it was kind of refreshing to get the W.
“Even though there were ups and downs, I think it was another hard-fought game, and we’ve had three (this week). It was good to pull off the W.”
Starting lineups
Lake Forest Academy
GK Henry Jacobson
D Charlie Shattock
D Scott Skinner
D Tyler Medvec
D Sergio Estrelles
M Alexander White
M Jason Woo
M Stefan Momcilovic
F Rich Park
F Giuseppe Maida
F David Oluwole
Neuqua Valley
GK Bryson Ramsey
D Kevin Wu
D Ryan Jasek
D Anthony Safo
D Brandon Szabo
M Mac Lehman
M Tom Bludgen
M Jose Navarro
M David Kuhn
M Sean Osoba
F Jason Chisnell
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match – David Kuhn, sr., M, Neuqua Valley.
Scoring summary
First half
Lake Forest Academy – Rich Park
Neuqua Valley – Tom Bludgen (Jose Navarro)
Neuqua Valley – Jack Georgi (Navarro) 9:15
2nd Half
Lake Forest Academy – Sergio Estrelles (PK) 36:22
Neuqua Valley – David Kuhn (PK) 28:58
Neuqua Valley – Kuhn 10:20